10:32:42 "I wanted to stay
locally and spend more time with my
parents who were in declining health."
10:32:48

So Stapp started looking for jobs
close to home, but finding work in
Danville wasn't easy.

10:32:52 "I was running into a
brick wall and I was very discouraged.
I knew that I had talent and I knew
that I had skills, but I didn't know
how to apply them to get a job around
here." 10:33:06

That's when Stapp started taking
classes at Danville's Regional Center
for Advanced Technology and Training.

Today, he's learning how to work
in a new field - one that's based in

technology.

Local leaders say education like
this will be key in helping southside
residents find new, high-tech jobs.

10:14:52 "The job losses that
we've had have been job losses that
didn't require an educated workforce
and that's been quite a curse on the
community at this point in time and
that's what we need to change."
10:15:02

11:46:20 Many people aren't going
back to school because they don't think
they can afford it, but state officials
are hoping to get more money for this
region, so that anymore who wants to go
back to school will have the chance.
11:46:30

10:53:43 "What I will pledge to
you is this" 10:53:45

State officials like Governor
Kaine are working to get federal money
to create more jobs and better access
to workforce training programs.

10:22:55 "A lot of what we have
to do here is push more community
college and 4-year educational programs
here." 10:23:02

That commitment to education has

folks like Stapp encouraged.

10:43:08 "My dream is to never
hear another high school age student
say well, I'm gonna have to go to
college and move away from here because
I can't get a good job in this area."
10:43:18

A dream Stapp hopes will catch
on, to help southside become a
prosperous place to live and work
again.

On February 17th, 2009 - every TV
station in America, including Your
Hometown Station, will have to turn off
its analog signal and start
broadcasting only in a digital format.

CHANNEL=C VO-NAT
VO-NAT

*CG locator Roanoke

The National Association of
Broadcasters is in town this weekend,
trying to educate consumers about the
change.

If you don't subscribe to cable
or satellite and you watch WDBJ using
an antenna, you might either have to
buy a new TV or make some changes to
the set you already own.

That's left many of you asking
questions like "What type of TV should
I buy?"

CHANNEL=A SOT FULL
SOT FULL

INQ="Does it have to be HD?..."

*CG 2line Angie Malone

DTV Roadshow 23:35:08 "DOES IT HAVE TO BE HD? DOES
IT HAVE TO BE DIGITAL? MY ANSWER TO
THAT IS JUST FIND OUT IF IT HAS A
DIGITAL TUNER. IF IT HAS A DIGITAL
TUNER, THEN YOU ARE FINE AND YOU DON'T
HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT ANY TYPE OF
CONVERSION." 23:35:19

RUNS=:11 (END SOT)

OQ="...worry about any type of

conversion."

TAKE INET TAKE INET

If you have questions about the
switch to digital, we've created a
whole section on the topic on our
homepage - wdbj7.com.

Last night police did find
Meredith Emerson's dog at a Kroger
parking lot thanks to a microchip
implant.

Detectives searched a dumpster,
across the street from the store where
they recovered personal items belonging
to Emerson who was last seen on New
Year's Day.

CHANNEL=B SOT FULL
SOT FULL

INQ=We're....

*CG 2line Sheriff Ted Paxton

Forsyth Co., Georgia "WE'RE PROBABLY A GOOD SEVENTY-FIVE,

EIGHTY MILES FROM THE AREA SHE WAS LAST
SCENE AT. RIGHT NOW WE'RE JUST
CONTINUING OUR INVESTIGATION. WE'RE
CANVASSING THE WHOLE AREA. WE HAVE BEEN
PULLING SURVEILLANCE TAPES FROM EVERY
STORE, EVERY BUSINESS AROUND HERE THAT
DOES HAVE SURVEILLANCE TAPES IN AN
ATTEMPT TO GIVE US SOME MORE FURTHER
DIRECTION TO GO IN THE INVESTIGATION."

RUNS=21 (END SOT)

OQ=.....in the investigation.

VO-NAT VO-NAT

Police have also located the man
who they're calling a 'person of
interest', Gary Michael Hilton.

<
Webb in the SkyTracker7 Forecast
Center. A disturbance coming out of
the Ohio Valley will cause cloudy skies
Saturday night. A few light showers may
develop. Lows will be cool, but not as
cold around the mid 30s. Some light
freezing rain is possible in the cooler
locations of the Greenbrier Valley,

Highlands and New River Valley.

Sunday starts with clouds and a few
showers, then partly to mostly cloudy
skies for the rest of the day. Highs
are forecast in the mid 50s with a
southwest breeze.

Monday and Tuesday continue to be in a
southwesterly flow pushing temperatures
to the mid 60s. We could see record
warmth! Skies will be partly sunny.

By early Wednesday, a strong cold front
moves through providing showers and
highs in the 50s. While cooler, the
front won't bring extremely chilly air
like we've felt recently.

Tournament hosted by Roanoke College
had the home team in their Championship
game this afternoon.

The Maroons facing Ferrum who
they had already played and beaten once
this season.

CHANNEL=A VO-NAT
VO-NAT

*CG locator Salem

Maroons vs Panthers That part of a 10 game winning
streak that Roanoke Currently holds
against the Panthers.

The Maroons came out trying to
push the tempo and it worked with the
pass from Keith Carter to Josh Laporte
who finishes to give Roanoke a 2 point
lead.

Ferrum would go inside to their
big man Derek Mitchell who shows off
some nifty moves operating with a
number of defenders around him, that

kept the Roanoke lead at 2.

The Panthers would continue to
look inside, They tied the game up on a
layup by Jerrell Wade who played his
High School Ball at Franklin County

Another local player A.J. Dowell
waiting in the wings for the steal.
*CG final Ferrum He gets it and goes in for the lay-up.
67 THe Maroons win again over Ferrum. 83
Roanoke College to 67 the Final Score.